This month’s feature selection from Sonoran Brewing Company in rapidly-growing Scottsdale represents the first beer that we have ever offered from dry and toasty Arizona. Given what brewer Scott Yarosh creates at his brewery there, the Grand Canyon state is making a dandy debut.

Great presentation—the label shows a crowd who's had enough and ain't afraid to advertise the coming revolution. All that discontent packaged in a wine bottle, cork-finished and caged; the parallels to the velvet revolution are obvious. Now, the idea that we'd need to dethrone the Czech Pilsner is a bit ballsy, for sure; but the brewers clearly have faith that this beer will lead people to question everything. Pours a golden straw-honey color, wi...

Mocne (pronounced roughly like "Muhhtz-neh") means "strong" in Polish. You won't find this word on the U.S. labels because of bizarre alcohol labeling laws in the States—you'll see "Pelne" on the label (meaning "full-light," a difficult-to-translate term that refers to a well-hopped pale lager, often regarded as the Polish approximation to Pilsner). The term "Malt Liquor" is often used to refer to beers over 6% ABV because alcohol labeling rules ...

Croats have a few really nice beers available to them in their marketplace. However, since they are wedged between Italy and southeastern European nations that have traditionally gravitated toward wine consumption, the variety of available beer styles leaves a bit to be desired. Thus, like most other nations, their most popular beer style is the style that is most popular the world over: pilsner. Thankfully, they prefer the flavorful Czech variet...

You'll have to work a bit to get the roused wheat and yeast sediment up from the bottom of the bottle, but we encourage you to go for it. Pour 2/3 of the beer into your glass, then give the bottle a few rough swirls clockwise and counterclockwise, peering into the tilted bottle to see if the layer has been brought up—then add this to your glass. The beer becomes cloudy, adding flavor and B-vitamins. On the nose, expect a great big ol' wheat twang...

English Style Special Ale is a full-bodied, hearty ale whose complex flavors further emerge as it warms. One reviewer on our panel shared the following story about this beer: "When we first featured this beer back in 2004 I was a 'hophead' through and through. I could appreciate malt-centered beers, but only academically; none ever fully resonated with me. I was like the beer panel's hop profile specialist, and that was because I only really indu...

Milk stout is a somewhat rare English style of stout that is made sweeter and fuller in body by the addition of the non-fermentable sugar lactose (a type of sugar found in milk, hence this beer's name). Lancaster's example is true to style and quite a treat. This black brew gives a characteristic milk stout nose—yes, you can smell a subtle milk-like note, but this is among deep, dark chocolate and coffee notes. Flavor wise, it runs deep with coff...

It's that time of year again: the winter warmers are in season. This one is a real 'warmer' at nearly 9% alcohol by volume—a bit on the high side for the style, but nicely balanced by its robust flavors and aromas. Expect chocolate and caramel notes, with some fruitiness and a hefty roasty character on the nose. Look for a berry- and caramel-centric flavor profile, with some dark chocolate notes, a bit of spiciness, and a balancing bitterness. Wi...